


Heart of Gold

by Eileithyia_ya



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Eventual Romance, F/M, Theft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 18:53:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3082913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eileithyia_ya/pseuds/Eileithyia_ya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A polar reversal has made the planet a dangerous place to live, and a difficult one to traverse. The collapse of the electromagnetic field had left the world vulnerable to solar storms, and rendered the use of an ancient compass defective. Honest thief Nami guides the Kazaguruma through the skies with custom made lodestones, looking for treasure and truth. Eventual Law x Nami.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Items of Worth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece and all of its wonderful characters.

_**Items of Worth** _

The intimidatingly tall buildings in Alubarna were constructed of stone, and most were rendered for their protection. The limestone stone city was always subject to intense solar heating, and it's architecture reflected and radiated that heat at an uncomfortable degree. Over time, the sun had baked the buildings, causing their rendering to crack and crumble. To the delight of many thieves, most of the buildings were left in a state of disrepair, leaving them with plenty of hand and footholds for an easy escape after their plunder of the markets.

The Alubarna bazaar was a wretched place. A complicated network of back streets just beyond the shadow of the Royal Palace. It was confounding, and almost inescapable for anyone who was not a native, and still a fairly confusing maze for those that were. Despite its proximity to the palace, the Royal Guard never ventured into the markets.

Tightly packed stalls lined both sides of the narrow streets. You could find almost anything in this feverish emporium, it was one of the many reasons it had become an oasis for the nefarious. The outer market was reserved for honest trade, selling produce like hard bread, livestock, dried fruit and colourful spices. The inner market was a different story entirely, and even Nami did not know the full extent of what was on offer there. Her interest ended with the shining jewels, shimmering metals that caught her gaze every time she passed.

An array of earthy coloured tarps sparsely covered the winding streets of the bazaar trying to block out the baking sun, but unfortunately helping to trap in its blistering heat. Nami could feel her ivory cotton blouse beginning to stick to her skin. She cursed her leather corset out loud, and then the hooded cloak that she was wearing. The swelter was making her feel more irritable than usual, dizzy, and slightly claustrophobic in her own clothes. Her feet boiled in her brown leather boots, and even her short layered skirt offered no relief from the heat. The humid air licked at her bare thighs, adding to her broiling haze.

Nami screwed up her orange hair, then trapped it underneath the thick leather band at the back of her head that was holding her tawny goggles in place. She then cocooned herself in the fabric of her russet cloak, protecting all that was beneath as she walked deeper into the bazaar.

She pushed through the shambling crowd, eager to do business and be on her way as soon as possible. The body heat from the surrounding horde smothered her as she passed, urging her to shove her way forward and break free from the sea of people.

"Sorry," she said, quickly helping to stabilise an elderly woman after almost knocking her over.

Nami's voice cracked as she spoke. Her throat felt dry as she struggled to swallow, then tasted salt from her skin as she licked her lips to moisten them. All were signs of a desperate hunger for fluid, some of which she had lost since landing on the arid tundra just outside the royal city, but most of her dehydration was due to a heavy night of drinking with a close friend.

As Nami continued to make her way to a particular merchant's stall, she felt so parched it made her half tempted to consume her loot. But, since she knew that in these parts its value was ten times that of its weight in gold, she painfully abstained.

"Thief!" she heard someone shout out nearby. Nami turned her head to see a tall man dressed in white linens pointing deep into the crowd, it was impossible to tell exactly who he was accusing. No one else seemed to take notice, perhaps no one else heard. People gossiped as they walked, stall holders hollered out their daily personal deals, and customers haggled loudly over prices. The cacophony of sound from within bazaar would have immediately drowned out the marketer's squawk, and he did not give chase to the shop lifter for fear of having his stall sacked in his absence. Theft was commonplace here. It was a pickpocket's dream and a pilferer's paradise, something which Nami had noted the first time she passed under its canvas threshold, many years ago. Besides the lack of law enforcement, the market was too busy for most merchants to notice if a meagre amount of their produce vanished from off their stall, and it was far too cramped for a victim to realise when a clever thief's hand stealthily groped their person, searching for a coin purse.

No one had ever managed to pick Nami's pocket, not without her wanting them too. The bazaar was never too bustling for Nami to not notice the petty theft that took place around her, and sometimes it made her wistful of a stint in her life when she was not such an honest thief, or a treacherous merchant.

Though they were now sticking uncomfortably to her face, Nami was grateful she still wearing her goggles. As she approached the stall she was looking for she passed through an area of the bazaar that was not covered by tarps, and the beaming sun seemed intent on blinding her as it was shining down, baking the streets below.

Desperate to get out of its rays, she quickly ducked beneath the foot of lavender fabric hanging in front of the stall she wanted, then cleared her throat as she entered the sundries shop.

"Be with ye in a minute." She heard a man utter to her once she was inside.

Nami tilted her face towards the canvas above her head, allowing her hood to fall so she could appreciate the ever so slight drop in temperature around her head.

She busied herself until the merchant was ready, examining all the containers and trinkets that were locked inside glass cabinets. The display cases were lightly dusted with sand and had a sprinkling of sunlight cast on the stock as it rained through small gaps in the woven fabric roof, like a children's night lamp projecting the stars onto their bedroom wall. Nami had to use her cloak to clean some of the units, and constantly had to shift her position in order to cast a shadow to enable her to get a decent view of the goods inside.

The stall really did sell a little bit of everything, from soothing balms and perfumes, to poison darts and great swords. Nami didn't need anything thought, not today. Only belli, and something to quench her thirst.

Nami dropped her head for a moment to let the air hit the back of her neck, then ran her hand across the moist skin of her nape. Summer on a summer island was not her preferred climate, especially in such heavy attire.

The merchants current customer quickly turned on his heel to leave, his red mantle whipped at Nami's legs as he strode past her at a hurried pace, shouting obscenities as he exited.

"How can I help ye?" the bulbous merchant then asked her in a nasal tone, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. His dark skin was clammy, and sweat clung to the age lines of his face.

"How much are you willing to pay for these?" Nami asked as she reached her left hand beneath her cloak to pull out three small phials between the slender fingers.

"Is that-" the man's breath caught in his throat as he stared with wide eyes at the containers of liquid Nami was holding up before him. "Two thousand," he quickly offered, interlacing his fingers so he couldn't eagerly reach out for them, and trying to feign disinterest. It was already too late for that.

"Hmm," Nami pondered out loud, loosening the tie at the neck of her cloak to reveal the line of her bountiful cleavage. "Not good enough." she simpered, leaning forward a little to ensure she got his attention.

The sweat trickled from store owners bald head, and down the side his weathered face. "Three thousand," he breathed in an exasperated tone, as his eyes found their way to her chest.

"These are purified cloud tears, straight from Weatheria!" she sneered. Nami had a choleric disposition at the best of times, and the heat within the store was brutally testing the limits of her patience.

"Five thousand. Each. That's all they are worth," he croaked.

"Do you think I am some sort of idiot?" Nami asked as she reluctantly placed her index finger under the merchant's dank chin, and lifted his head to meet her deadly glare. "If you lie to me again, I will break your neck."

Nami meant every word of that threat. She knew there were other traders that she could deal with, but it was far too torrid for her to want to waste more of her time on Sandy Island. So, she pushed her cloak aside to reveal a weapon on her left hip, hoping it would let the merchant know just how serious she was.

"Th-thirty thousand," he stammered, taking a step back and wiping his clammy palms against his hips.

"Each!" she demanded. Nami knew that was too much, but the merchant did not argue. He frantically nodded his head before he turned, fumbling to open his safe.

Nami cast her eyes around the stall once its owner had finished fiddling with the depository's dial and began counting out her money. She was tempted by some of the salves that were in stock, but she knew she could purchase them for a far better price elsewhere.

Just as she had gotten tired with perusing, a shabby looking book caught her eye. The faded golden letters on its spine were what really grabbed her attention. The text was that of an ancient language, one she did not know but could have sworn she'd seen before, indecipherable runes known to only an elite few. Nami picked up the book, and ran her hand over its tattered powder blue cover. Sections of it had peeled and crumbled away where it had been scratched and folded over the years. She opened it carefully, but it was so old its binding had turned to dust, and the tome came apart in her hands.

"How much for the book?" she asked, quickly closing it so none of its pages fell out.

"Hmm?" the merchant grunted. "Oh that," his dreary tone of voice expressed his disregard for the tome. "that's been here since I opened. If ye promise to bring more cloud tears, then ye can have that fer free." he offered, then motioned to the pile of belli sat on his counter.

"Deal." Nami smiled, expertly keeping the extent of her excitement from her features.

She pulled out a small tote which was concealed at the small of her back, just beneath her corset. Nami put all of her money into it, fixed it into position, then handed over the three phials.

"Thank ye," the man smiled, showing her a yellowed toothy grin with couple of gaps between his teeth as he did.

Nami nodded, then carefully strapped the book to her person, before lifting her hood and making her way back into the crowds of the bazaar.

The day grew warmer as the morning stretched on, and there was now a stench that saturated the humid atmosphere. Rancid bodily odours mixed with a potent agglomeration of perfumes, the smell of slaughtered meat that was hanging from display hooks, and the heavy aroma of exotic spices. All adding to Nami's hazy discomfort and laying the foundations for what was becoming a cracking headache.

Nami knew she was dehydrated, but to what extent she wasn't sure. She felt tired, a little confused, and the air burned the back of her dry throat with every inhalation of breath. She needed to get back to her ship, and fast. Thankfully, finding her way was one of Nami's greatest skills. Though many found it difficult, she could easily navigate the Alubarna bazaar, and be out of it in no time.

She pushed through the crowd, trying to ignore everything on her way. Things caught her eye as she passed, but not even the dazzling stones in the jewellery boutique could stop Nami from exiting the markets.

Nami closed her eyes, and took a deep breath once she was back onto the open streets of Alubarna. The sun still seemed determined to cook her alive, and she could still hear the hustle and bustle of the bazaar, but that wretched, humid atmosphere was now behind her, and she soon felt a little less suffocated in the open air.

Some caged chickens squawked loudly as Nami passed by, drawing her attention to the price list just outside. She refused to pay the extortionate price for water, but decided that one hundred and fifty belli for a flagon of goats milk was a reasonable price, and much better than what the bazaar was asking. She purchased one and drank it all immediately. It was not enough to completely quench her thirst, but it certainly helped.

She continued to made her way across the city, and once Nami reached the edge of the plateau, she cautiously set about the daunting task of descending the giant stone staircase that led down to the desert where her ship, the Kazaguruma, was waiting for her. Nami knew that it would be easy for her to fall in her light headed state, and she now had to be extra careful because there was somewhere she wanted to go. Ohara. Nami had a contact there who she knew would be delighted by the tome she had just acquired, even if the person hid their emotions very well.

The scorched sand of the Alubarna desert shimmered in the fierce rays of the sun, creating a welcomed protective mirage around her ship. Still, it seemed one man had managed to get past that illusion.

As Nami approached, she could make out the figure of a dark haired man, basking in the sun on top of her bronze coloured ship. His hat shaded his face from the sun, but she immediately knew who it was.

"Urgh." Nami animately sighed. "What are you doing here?" She asked, knowing full well that trouble was ahead of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Kazaguruma means pinwheel, or windmill in Japanese.


	2. The Bite of Passengers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eiichiro Oda owns One Piece and all of its wonderful characters.

_**The Bite of Passengers** _

"What are you doing here?" Nami sighed, halting her approach to lament the lose of a peaceful future, and regard the ominous man on the top deck of Kazaguruma.

"Don't be like that!" the dark haired man said in a bright tone. His voice was muffled by the hat covering his face at first, but soon became clear as he moved to sit up, revealing the tattooed pirate insignia on his back, and placing the hat on top of his head. He turned his head to smile Nami, but continued to relax in the sun, seemingly unaffected by the fiery desert heat.

"Yea? And why not, Ace?" Nami asked, taking off her cloak and bundling it in her arms, then she continued to head for the shelter of her ship.

Portgas D. Ace completely turned to face her as she got closer. His bright smile lingered, the freckles dusting his cheeks made him look honest, and appear younger than he was, but that smile soon wavered, and a hint of remorse crept onto his features. "Because _I'm_ here to apologise," he uttered while fidgeting with the oxblood beads that encircled is neck.

Nami suddenly found it a little difficult to breathe and stopped in her tracks. It were as though his words were a thin blade that aimed for her heart, but missed and punctured a lung instead. "Apologise for what?" Nami dared to inquire, failing to keep the quiver of distress from her voice.

Ace gritted his teeth and hesitantly flicked his eyes in her direction, then quickly looked away again. Before he could speak there was a loud crash from deep within the Kazaguruma, and a sharp twist to the imaginary blade in Nami's chest for it to finally penetrate her heart.

Nami dropped her cloak and sprinted for her airship. Though she had her suspicions, "What the hell was that!?" erupted from her lips in a furious shout, putting extra emphasis on the word _hell_ as she ran for her vessel.

She jumped on board and dashed along the gangway. Nami didn't need instincts to know who was ravaging her ship. Incensed, she rushed past the bridge and headed down stairs, straight to the galley as fast as she could. The closer Nami got to the kitchen, the louder the disturbing sounds of rustling and clanging became.

Nami barged through the large bronze doors to the galley with such a force it resembled that of a fiery volcano blowing its stack. There was a thunderous crack as the metal collided with the wall, and the whole room shook with the impact. Before the true extent of her anger could burst out of her with deadly intent, a jar found its way beneath the sole off her boot, causing Nami to stumble face first over some empty storage containers and fall to the floor with a thud.

She reached out immediately to pick up one of the empty boxes that broke her fall and threw it straight at Monkey D. Luffy's head.

"Nami!" he shouted, whipping round in her direction the second the box collided with his skull. "There's no food," he whined, regarding her with a peculiar expression. "I need meat!" he demanded.

"There isn't any, so get off my ship." Nami ordered, quickly picking herself up and heading straight over to the man to throttle him.

"But, Nami-" Luffy started, but was cut him off by the pair of hands applying pressure around his throat, and before Nami knew it she was literally squeezing the life out of him. "...sorry." Luffy sobbed, while his face turned a deep shade of purple.

The tone of his whined apology stopped Nami from seeing red. She looked at him properly, to truly see his expression, and guilt instantly began to creep its way up her spine as she recognised the remorse on his face.

With an aggravated sigh she released her deathly grip, and buried her face in her hands. "Why are you here?" Nami moaned, rubbing her face as if it would relieve her exasperation.

"Hun … gry." Luffy choked as he fell to floor, coughing and spluttering and gulping down air.

The noises he was making were so painfully familiar to her. Memories of him battling for her freedom, her moment of despair when he drowned and all hope was lost. Those events came flooding back to her, and Nami felt an unwanted pang in her chest as she listened to him steady his breathing. Regret for her current actions, and gratitude for his past exploits were warring over which should dominate her emotions.

With a frown, Nami slowly opened her fingers and peeked through the gaps at him, and the mess he had made in her galley. The refrigerator's contents were all over the floor, and one of its ivory doors was hanging off its hinges. All her previously tidy cupboards were emptied. Pans were everywhere, and crockery smashed into tiny pieces. Onions and potatoes rolled across the floor, and all of her seeds, herbs and spices were strewn over the counter tops. Even the table and chairs had even managed to get turned over in his hunt for sustenance. The only thing her hadn't destroyed was her liquor supply.

Nami laughed in disbelief, then removed her goggles as if they might be creating the spectacle before her, but it was no illusion. She dropped her goggles to the floor and stared for a moment. Her jaw was slack with utter shock, and she was frozen in place by denial over the state of her kitchen. As Luffy got to his feet, Nami buried her face in her hands to ensure she didn't attempt to strangle him again.

She knew he wasn't cruel or malicious. He was tenacious and pure hearted, irritating and reckless, it was a wonder he was still alive, especially where she was concerned. Even though he had just destroyed her kitchen, she knew he hadn't necessary done it on purpose. _'Luffy is like a small child,'_ Nami reminded herself. Though, she wasn't quite sure a small child was capable of making such a mess.

"As I said," Ace started in a penitent tone, slipping an arm over her shoulders and pulling her against his side. "I'm here to apologise."

"He's like a wild animal." Nami mumbled, wondering if even a tribe of monkeys could create as much mess as Luffy had.

"I know." Ace started, slowly sliding his arm from off her shoulders, and edging towards the door. "And I need you to give him a lift somewhere."

Nami whipped her head around to glare at him in disbelief. How could Ace say such a thing while she was still stricken with grief for the damage he'd caused, and furious at how much it would cost her to replenish her stores. "No!" she objected, chasing Ace out of the galley. "You both have ships of your own!" she shouted after him, then quickly followed him back up on deck, adamant that Luffy would not remain on the Kazaguruma.

"I need to find someone." Ace began to explain, grabbing her attention and turning her around the moment she was outside. He cast his eyes across the desert for a long moment, drawing Nami's gaze to the yardang valley in the distance as she strolled up beside him.

She leant against the handrail and shielded her eyes from the blinding sun. "Who?" Nami asked curiously as she regarded him. Ace had always seemed unfazed and confident in the past, but now he seemed uneasy.

His hand slipped beneath his hat to muss his hair while he turned to look at Nami with a worried smile. "It is too dangerous to take Luffy with me."

There was a sadness in his eyes, and a seriousness to his voice that helped Nami to understand the gravity of Ace's target. Luffy was strong, but was always outmatched by his brother. She knew he must be a truly formidable man for Ace to show concern.

She knew Luffy couldn't have found her ship on his own, not with the mirage that was helping to conceal it. It had Ace who brought him to the Kazaguruma, allowing him the oppotunity to ravage it, but she couldn't find it in herself to hate Ace for it. And she especially had no ill feelings for Luffy because of all that he had previously done for her. Nami just did not have the time, or the patience, to babysit him. The book strapped to Nami's back was weighing heavy on her mind. Something told her it was of great importance, and she wanted to get to Ohara as soon as possible, if only to be rid of it.

Nami closed her eyes and begrudgingly nodded her head. "Where am I taking him to?" she sighed.

"Thank you." Ace breathed a sigh of relief. "The Going Merry should still be at the Baratie … "

Nami tuned out then as Ace continued to talk. The Baratie wasn't too far away from their current location, or her home town, and was a renowned floating restaurant in which Luffy could fill his stomach, and shut his mouth. Thankfully a lovestruck cook also worked there. She imagined he would possibly be more than happy to replenish her food stores for free. Perhaps she could get him to tidy the galley, too.

"He needs a part for Merry." Ace's voice sounded, pulling her from her thoughts. "Usopp should be at the ship to fit it for him."

"And where will we find this part?" She asked, dreading the answer to come.

"It's on my ship." Ace said, then nodded in the direction of a yardang. "I don't have enough room, and my weight limits won't allow me to safely take Luffy to the Baratie, but I will meet you there." He explained, then leaped over the handrail and set off across the barren desert.

Nami watched him for a moment in great relief. She had a fear of this turning out to be a hellish adventure, searching for ship parts, and babysitting the most reckless child in all existence, but it seemed she wouldn't have to deal with him for too long.

Loud clatter from below dispelled her pleasant musings, and forced her to return to the galley.

She slowly pushed open the bronze doors, devastated to find it somehow looked infinitely worse than when she had left the room moments ago. "What are you doing?" Nami asked when she spotted Luffy flaked out on top of the refrigerator.

"No …. food." He mumbled through gentle snores. She couldn't understand how anyone could fall asleep with their head right back the way it was, and the string of his straw hat pulled tightly against his neck, and his spine arched into a bow. It was surely impossible.

"Just because something doesn't have wings or legs that does not mean it is not food." Nami growled, then picked up an empty container and threw it at him, again. "Get up, we're leaving." she shouted as she left the room.

* * *

After a quick detour to hide her book in the safe in her room, Nami stepped onto the bridge.

"I thought we were leaving?" Luffy asked, eagerly. "Come on. Let's go!" he smiled as he bounced mischievously on the leather of the pilot seat.

"Sit there." Nami ordered, pointing to another chair with one hand, and pressing the brassy control buttons on her dashboard with the other. She grabbed her log book out of a locked compartment beneath her seat, and waited while her navigational system loaded up.

"D' you have a log pose for where we're going?" Luffy asked with an incredulous expression as he eyed the spherical astrolabe that appeared out of the control panel. He reached out to touch it, only to quickly have his hand slapped away by Nami.

Since the start of the polar reversal, the world had become a dangerous place to live, and a difficult one to traverse. The gradual collapse of the planet's electromagnetic field had left the world vulnerable to the radiation of solar storms, and rendered the use of an ancient compass completely defective. Migrating mini poles roamed the globe in the wake of the weakened field, focusing deadly gamma and x-rays wherever they went, and dragging the needle of every nearby compass in their direction. All who follow the ancient compass are sure to become lost.

Dr. Vegapunk discovered a way to create electromagnetic fields that engulf each and every land mass. The World Government then took control of the E.M fields and charged every household, except the Celestial Dragons, for the maintenance of the field they resided beneath, and the protection that it brought them. Along with the electromagnetic fields, Dr Vegapunk also created something called a Logpose, a highly expensive piece of navigational equipment. The magnetite within a logpose would permanently record the wave lengths of the E.M field it was created in, pointing whichever ship held that logpose to the place of its creation, and therefore offering aeronauts a safe way to guide their airships around the globe. 

As with most things, Nami refused to pay the extortionate prices for logposes, and had discovered an ingenious way to create her own.

Luffy didn't have a log pose, she knew that without asking. He was the kind of man who aimlessly roamed the skies without guidance, and often without the protection of an Electromagnetic coating device.

"I have a lodestone I created for Konomi.-" Nami began to explain. "The Baratie is not far from there," she said as she opened her logbook and searched through it for the sliver of metal and stone.

"A logstone?" Luffy asked. Nami did not need to look at him to know he was confused, and more than likely picking his nose, as he often did when he was mildly contemplating something.

"It's called a lodestone, Luffy." Nami corrected him. "It is a rock that is magnetized by the strong magnetic field of a lightning bolt. It records the field it was generated in, allowing me to return to islands I have previously visited without having to pay the World Government's prices."

"Magnet stones?" Luffy mumbled, flicking his fingers to rid them of the contents of his nose.

"Don't do that!" Nami said as she clobbered him when she spotted what he was doing.

"Sorry." he whined, clutching his head to seemingly try to stop a lump from forming.

Nami placed the lodestone into the sphere, then looked up to see Luffy rubbing and scratching his head with a pained expression. He wasn't that hurt from the blow, and was obviously trying to get his mind around what Nami had just told him. Luffy wasn't the most intellectual person she had ever met, and Nami didn't think for a moment that he would ever grasp what she had explained.

"… It's a mystery then!" He eventually blurted out. "And logstone makes more sense."

Nami laughed, and tried to ignore his childish antics as her ship finally recognised its course, and she switched on the ignition.

Lights flickered and the ships warning alarms bleeped once to say they were operational as the Kazaguruma rumbled to life, and its four overhead propellers churned the atmosphere to take flight.

Luffy threw both his arms up into the air in delight. "Let's go!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.


End file.
